An endless tendril
winding around itself
poking through
little looping tunnels
as if writing stitch words
in palpable cursive
paragraphs and pages
of them
more and more pendulous
on the needles
building a fabric
of curly connections
as the skein shrinks
steadily—
And if there are mistakes
go back. Undo
each stitch,
yard after yard bearing
the twisty imprint of the past—
back to where
it went awry— wrong stitches,
a ruined pattern
the start of a great
unraveling.
Then do it again,
knit the wrinkled past
into what you wanted it to be.
Pam Lewis
Pam Lewis’ work has appeared in various regional and national publications. Now retired, she enjoys the many opportunities for learning, and the natural beauty of Madison, WI.
Portage Magazine 